Frances Tiafoe won her first title on grass on Sunday by beating Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in the final of the Stuttgart tournament 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (10/8) after dismissing a match point.
The 25-year-old American won in 2 hours and 12 minutes after an interminable third set ended in the tie-break, saving a match point 7 points to 6 on his opponent’s serve before equalizing and winning. on his third match point.
Currently 12th in the ATP, Tiafoe will enter the Top 10 for the first time in his career on Monday, joining his compatriot Taylor Fritz, eighth in the elite.
Tiafoe resisted 28 aces from Struff (24th) who was trying to become the first German player to win a home title since Michael Stich in 1991.
The pair had faced each other twice with one win each until Sunday’s grass-court final.
Tiafoe now has three ATP 250 titles to his credit (after Delray Beach in 2018 and Houston on clay this season).
